Container for cosmetic powder



A. E. VAUGHN Filed Oct. 24, 1941 CONTAINER FOR COSMETIC POWDER Dec. 26, 1944.

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tomers and increases sales.

Patented Dec. 26, 1944 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER FOR COSMETIC POWDER Albert E. Vaughn, Los Angeles, Calif. Application October 24, 1941, Serial No. 416,326

10 Claims. (cl. 15-1311) The present invention relates to containers for cosmetics, with special reference to containers for face powder, powdered rouge and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a powder container, inexpensive in construction, pleasthat is soft and otherwise suitablefor contact with theusers skin; to provide a container with a nonclogging dispensing medium that will facilitate uniform distribution of the powdered material; to provide a container with a dispensing medium that avoids release of the powdered material at a wasteful rate; to provide a dispensing device that will release powder without throwing particles of powder into the air to any material extent; to

provide a dispensing device that may be lightly rubbed against the user-s skin to release powder .without the necessity of patting the device against the skin to create impact pressure; and to provide a container with a detachable dispensing medium which when soiled or damaged may be readily removed and replaced.

Prospective buyers of cosmetic powders require opportunities to inspect powder before purchase, especially so when the powder is a rouge available in a range of shades. This display of cosmetic powders on counters furthermore attracts cus- It i not desirable, however, .to expose the cosmetic content of a container repeatedly or over long periods, and it is especially undesirable that any dispensing medium incorporated in the construction of a container be exposed or handled prior to purchase. One object ofv the invention is to provide a container that does not invite uncovering of the cos- ,metic content and that permits inspection of the content without the necessity of exposing either the content or the dispensing medium. In this .and a further feature is the concept of displaying such a container in reverse or upside down posi- ,tion with the content plainly visible through the container bottom.

'When such a container is reversed for. display,

the reversed dispensing medium may tend to leak powder especially when the container is handled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cover that functions to discourage such leakage of powder. through the dispensing medium, not only whi1e-the container is on display prior to sale, but. also when the container is subject to the movement and jar incidental to transportation in a purse.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent in my detailed description to follow, taken with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, which is to be considered as illustrative only:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the container and associated cover, the container being. in reversed or upside down position; I

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cover spaced below the container;

-dicating the construction of a modified form of the invention, I

Figs. 1 to 3 show the preferred form of the device in what may be regarded as reversed or up-,

side down position. The principal parts are a powder receptacle generally designated ID, a dispensingmedium generally designated II that closes thereceptacle yet permits powder to be released at a retarded rate, and a removable cover l2.

. The receptacle l0 may be termed an open-top receptacle since it comprises a bottom wall [4 and a cylindrical side wall l5. Preferably the ,bottom wall I4 is extendedto form a peripheral .opaque material, but in my preferred practice .the receptacle is made of glass or some similarly transparent plastic material.

The dispensing medium ll includes a suitable flexible dispensing sheet 20 that serves to retain :a mass of powder 2| in the receptacle and yet is pervious to the powder to permit the powder to filter out of thereceptacle. Such a flexible sheet may be silken velure or other velvet-like fabric,

the pile of the fabric being turned outward. I :prefer a fabric having a rayon pile since rayon fibers are peculiar in having what may be termed a self-cleaning character, especially with respect to contamination by oily substances. The dispensing sheet may be attached to the receptacle in any suitable manner and preferably in a releasable manner. By way of example, I show a ring or circular wall member 22 encircling the circular wall l5 of the receptacle and cooperating therewith to grip the margin of the dispensing sheet. The ring 22 is formed with a circumferential shoulder 23.

The dispensin sheet is yieldingly contacted by a suitable supporting cushion 25 which is constructed in a manner to permit the powder 2| to reach the flexible sheet. In the particular construction shown in the drawing the supporting cushion is formed with a central aperture 26 to serve as a passage for the powder and the cushion is made of some porous material sufficiently pervious to provide additional lines of travel to the dispensing sheet. cushion may be molded from airfoam rubber, since such material is of a porous character providing extensive intercommunicating interstices.

Any suitable means such as a flanged metal disc 21 may be employed to support and retain the cushion 25, the flanged disc seating on the previously mentioned annular shoulder H. The

disc must be adapted to permit powder to pass from the interior of the receptacle I0 to the dispensing sheet 20 and may for that purpose have a single central aperture 28 registering with the aperture 26 of the cushion.

The cover I2 required to complete the pre-.

ferred form-of the invention is a cup-shaped member adapted to telescope onto the ring 22 against the circumferential shoulder 23. A comparison of Figs. 2 and 3 reveals that in the preferred form of my invention the cover l2 when,

fully seated against the, shoulder 23 presses snugly against the dispensing. sheet 20 in opposition to outward pressure from the cushion 25. When the cover is related to the dispensing sheet in the manner illustrated, the cover discourages leakage of powder through the dispensing sheet even when the receptacle is reversed and jarred in a manner tending to cause the powder 2| to gravitate through the dispensing sheet. One factor in discouraging leakage through the dispensing sheet is that the cover presses the outer pile of the sheet against. the fabric base, of the sheet to block the fabric interstices, and a further factor is that the various parts are sov proportioned and dimensioned that there is only an exceedingly small volume of space available to receive powder leakage anywhere between the cover and. the dispensing sheet. Preferably the cover I2 is provided with an exterior mirror 29 for the convenience of the user.

The manner in which the device shown in Figs. 1 to.4 is employed may be readily understood from the foregoing description- Powder in the form of face powder or rouge is initially deposited in the receptacle l0 while the receptacle is in upright position and then the ring 21 and the supporting cushion 25 are mounted on the open top of the receptacle. The circular dispensing sheet 20 is then draped over the cushion 25 and the rin 22 is forced downward over the assembly to anchor the dispensing sheet in place. The final step is to mount the cover l2, thereby completely enclosing the dispensing sheet and the mass of powder therein. When the device is displayed for sale, for example, on a sales counter,

it is placed in the reverse position shown in the drawing with the transparent bottom wall I4 uppermost so that the mass of powder 2| is con-1 For example, the supporting spicuously visible to prospective purchasers. Normally the cover I2 is never removed prior to actual sale.

When the device is in service, it may be carried in a purse and subject to considerable movement and jarring action without causing any substantial quantity of the powder to leak through the dispensing fabric. As soon, however, as the cover |2 is removed by the user, powder may filter through the dispensing sheet. To apply the powder, the user lightly presses and rubs the cushioned side of the device against the skin, thereby dispensing and uniformly distributing the powder in an efficient and economical manner.

The pressing and rubbing involves variable pressure against the cushion 25, and the alternate expansion and contraction of the cushion causes the particles of powder to move progressively through the interconnecting interstices of the cushion to reach the dispensing sheet 20 at various points away from the cushion aperture 26. The pressing and rubbing operation also causes powder to progress radially from the cushion aperture 26 along the inner side of the dispensing sheet for release through the sheet at various points.

Rayon fibers in the outwardly presented pile of the dispensing sheet, unlike cotton fibers, have less affinity for skin oils and other oils than exists between such oils and the dispensed powder. As a result, the powder rather than the rayon fibers tend to be soiled by application of the device to the skin. Likewise in contrast to cotton fibers the rayon fibers of the dispensing sheet do not tenaciously retain soiled powder particles. Consequently the continual passage of powder particles through the dispensing sheet over a period of service militate against soiling of the dispensing sheet and such soiling occurs only at a markedly retarded rate. -If a substantial quantity of an oleaginous material such as face cream or powder base'is rubbed onto the rayon pile, the fibers will stand apart and after a short period of powder dispensation, the oleaginous material will disappear. In contrast, such material would cause silk pile or cotton-pile to pack down into a. slick mass effectively blocking further escape of powder.. A further fact of importance is that pile fibers of rayon not only tend vigorously to stand out even after being subjected to considerable pressure, but also withstand continual bending without fatigue. Silk fibers on the other hand seem to lack life and may easily be crushed permanently into a mat of fibers retarding release of powder.

The user as often as need be dismantles the device to replenish the powder supply and/or to install a fresh dispensing sheet. The rim recess |8 permits the introduction of .any convenient means to pry the flanged disc 21 out of itsseat.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention. The construction in Fig. 5 includes a powder receptacle generally designatedv 30, a dispensing mediumv generally designated 3|, anda cover 32. The receptacle 30, which is formed with a. circumferential flange 34, is cut away to form a circumferential recess 35 to seat the dispensing medium 3| and is formed with a peripheral projection such as a screw thread 36 to eifect positive engagement with the cover 32.

The dispensing medium 3| includes a pervious dispensing sheet 31, a cushion 38, and a support plate 40, all of which may be of the general types previously described. The marginal portion 4| 0! the dispensing sheet 31 may be tucked around a peripheral flange 42 of the support plate 40 in the manner shown in'the drawing and the sheet may be held inplace by friction or may be glued or otherwise attached to the flange. To facilitate the passage of powder from the interior of the receptacle 30 to the inner side of the dispensing sheet 31, the support plate 40 may have a central aperture 43 and the cushion 38 maylikewise have a central aperture 45, the latter aperture by preference being of flaring configuration, as shown.

Powder passing outward through the aperture 43 in the support plate 40 may reach the dispensing sheet directly through thecushion aperture 45 or may reachthe dispensing sheet by various paths through the pervious material of the cushion. Onefeature of the illustrated construction is that the support plate 40 is centrally concave with respect to its outer surface to permit the cushion 38 to be normally relatively thick in the central region adjacent the cushion aperture 45. A desirable result of such an arrangement is that the cushion has relatively great resiliency and freedom for compression and expansion in its central region surrounding the cushion aperture. The arrangement not" only favors movement of the powdered particles through the interstices of the cushion but also favors radial movement of the powder away from the cushion aperture along the inner side of the dispensing sheet.

The cover 32 is similar to the previously described cover l2- and may perform the same func tions to various degrees in various practices of the invention. The cover 32, which may be provided with a mirror 46, is adapted forlengagement with the screw thread 36 ot the receptacle in abutment with the receptacle flange 34.

I reserve the right to all departures from my specific disclosure that lie within the scope of myappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A powder container of the character de-- scribed, comprising: an open-top receptacle adapted to hold a mass of powder, said receptacle including a bottom Wall and. an. annular side wall, the end of said side wall being reduced in thickness to provide a transverse shoulder; a removable transverse support telescopically mounted upon the shouldered end of said annular side wall in spaced relation to said bottom wall, i said support having at least one opening to permit powder to pass therethrough; acushion engaging the outer side of said support, said cushion also having at least one aperture for permitting powder to pass therethrough; and a flexible sheet covering said cushion, said sheet being pervious to thepowder to permit the powder to be dispensed therethrough.

2. A powder container of the character described, comprising: an open-top .receptacle adapted to hold a mass of powder, said receptacle including a bottom wall and an annular side wall, the end of said side wall being reduced in thickness to provide a transverse shoulder; a removable transverse support telescopicallt mounted upon the shouldered end of said annular side wall in spaced relation to said bottom wall,-said ,support having at least one opening to permit said flexible sheen-at least alportion of the bottom of said receptacle being transparent to permit thereceptacle to be inverted to reveal to prospective purchasers the powder in said receptacle without the necessity of removing said cover to expose said sheet to contamination, said cover normally pressing against said sheet in opposition to said cushion to discourage leakage of powder therethrough when the receptacle is so inverted.

l 3. Apowder container of the character de-' scribed, comprising: a receptacle having a bottom walland side walls; a sheet of fabric closing said receptacle, said fabric being pervious to the powder topermit the powder to be dispensed therethrough; a cushion yieldin'gly pressing outward against the inner side of said sheet, said cushion being apertured to provide at least one passage therethrough to said sheet and being of material pervious to the powder to permit the powder to reach the sheet by lines of travel outside said passage; detachable means mounted upon said side walls supporting said cushion scribed, comprising: a receptacle having a bottom wall and side walls; a flexible sheet closing said receptacle, said sheet being of material per:- vious to said powder to permit the powder to be dispensed therethrough; a cushion yieldingly con- I tacting the inner side of said sheet to press the sheet outward, said cushion having a central aperture to serve as a powder passage to the sheet; means supporting said cushion from below in spaced relation to the bottom of the receptacle,

adapted to cooperate with said receptacle to completely enclose said flexible sheet and press against the flexible sheet in opposition to said cushion to discourage escape of powder therethrough.

5. A powder container of the character described, comprising: a receptacle having a continuous side Wall forming an openin a transverse support extending across said opening and having at least one aperture through which powder can pass; a cushion engaging the outer side of said support and having at least one aperture to serve as a dispensing passage for said powder; a sheet of fabric pervious to powder overlying said cushion, said fabric having an outwardly presented pile of smooth resilient plastic fibers with relatively little tendency to absorb oils with relatively little tendency to cling to intermixtures of powder and oleaginous substances; and a ring embracing the marginal portion of said sheet and cooperating with said continuous side wall to frictionally retain the sheet in assembled positionupon said receptacle, said ring being of an axial length sufficient to substantially completely enclose the side wall of said receptacle.

6. A powder container as defined in claim 5 including a cover of material impervious to powder normally covering the outer surface of said sheet and frictionally embracing said ring member.

7. A powder container of the character described, comprising: a receptacle having a bottom receptacle, said sheet being of material pervious to said powder to permit the powder to be dispensed therethrough; a cushion yieldingly contacting the inner side of said sheet to press the sheet outward, said cushion having. a central aperture to serve as a powder passage to the sheet; and means supporting said cushion from below in spaced relation to the bottom of the receptacle, said support means having a centrally concave upper face and having a centralv aperture registering with said cushion aperture.

8. A powder container of the character described, comprising: a cylindrical receptacle having a bottom wall and an annular cylindrical side wall, said annular wall having a portion thereof recessed to provide an inner annular shoulder; a transverse support carried by said shoulder and set down into said recess, said transverse support having a central opening through which powder can pass; a. cushion engaging the outer surface or said transverse support, said cushion having a central opening aligned with the opening in said transverse support through which powder can pass; and a flexible sheet enclosing said cushion,v said sheet being of material pervious to said powder to permit the powder to be dispensed therethrough when in use.

9. A powder container of the character de scribed, including: a one-piece cylindrical receptacle having its bottom closed and its upper end open and provided with a projecting peripheral flange at its bottom, said receptacle being wall and side walls; a flexible sheet closing said.

formed oi transparent material; a fabric-eupporting body peripherally supported: on said upper endof said. receptacle and having a powder dis, pensing aperture therethrough; a sheet of fabric pervious to powder smoothly enclosing aid fabtrio-supporting body and extending downwardly around said upper end of said receptacle; and a cylindrical retaining ring telescoped over. said upper end of said receptacle into flush engagement with said flange to secure the edge of said sheet therebetween, said cylindrical retaining ring being of an axial length sufiicient to completely enclose. the side wall of said receptacle.

10. A powder container of the character described, comprising: a cylindrical receptacle having a bottom and a cylindrical side wall, said receptacle beingv formed of transparent material; a fabric-supporting body supported on the upper end of said side wall and having a single relatively large and centrally disposed powder dispensing aperture therethrough and having a convex top; a sheet of fabric pervious to powder smoothly enclosing said top and having a rim portion extending downwardly around said upper end of said side wall; and a cylindrical retaining ring enclosing said side wall and said rim portion of said sheet to secure said rim portion between said ring and said side wall, said retaining ring having an internal diameter greater than the external diameter of said side wall and havsaid fabric rim portion and said side wall.

ALBERT E. VAUGHN. v 

